


vlogs and coffees

by maxelau



Series: in a parallel universe [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Asexual Character, Crushes, Fluff and Humor, Multi, platonic jaehyun and doyoung, youtuber jaehyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:00:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25130518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maxelau/pseuds/maxelau
Summary: as far as doyoung is concerned, jung jaehyun hates coffee. so, it's surprising that for the past few weeks, jaehyun keeps buying coffee from the same cafe and not drinking it. instead, he gives it to doyoung for no particular reason.curiosity wins over doyoung and he finds out that jung jaehyun, his best friend, is crushing on a certain barista.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Series: in a parallel universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800868
Comments: 9
Kudos: 153





	vlogs and coffees

**Author's Note:**

> JUSTINE THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!
> 
> (ps, i apologize for any mistakes. power wrote this while sleep-deprived)

The moment he sees the hint of pink on Jaehyun’s cheeks, he knows something’s wrong. _The_ Jung Jaehyun blushing? The idea of it just made him cringe. But seeing it in person? It made him, Kim Doyoung, entirely speechless because Jung Jaehyun never blushes, let alone trip on his own shoes. Doyoung watches from a few meters away. A good distance where he could see Jaehyun swiftly grasp his balance before he actually fell—hair falling against his eyes, but with practiced ease, Jaehyun carelessly swipes his hair away as if he just stepped out of a fashion magazine. 

Doyoung could run and hide now, but the caffeine he downed earlier still hasn’t entered his system. It’s only the wee hours of the morning, the sun has not fully risen and so is Doyoung’s mental capacity to handle Jaehyun’s stupidness. 

In the world they live in, surprisingly, Jaehyun is popular. A factor which Doyoung cannot wrap his head around, besides the fact that Jaehyun’s some ‘elite’ model and a YouTube sensation, Jaehyun’s one of the blandest people he knows. But for some reason, Doyoung guesses that’s enough to get everyone’s eyes snapping and necks breaking just to get a glimpse of Jung Jaehyun in the hallway or in the streets. 

In short, Kim Doyoung was the sidekick and Jaehyun was the dashing superhero.

He doesn’t mind though, they’ve been friends since they were in middle school and how the hell was Doyoung supposed to know that his best friend would end up being some sort of online personality?

As Jaehyun draws closer, Doyoung could finally make out what the small object he’s holding and trying to not drop. To Doyoung’s surprise, it's nothing he expected. No offense, hopefully, none taken, but Jaehyun’s the least unexpected person Doyoung knows. The guy’s as predictable as any walking cliche TV show. In his eyes anyway, but his loyal fans probably see him as this marvelous cute guy who has such an adventurous life thanks to his well-crafted vlogs. Doyoung, on the other hand, just likes whatever Jaehyun posts and dips out the next second. He knows Jaehyun too well its ridiculous at times.

It has been so long since Jaehyun blew Doyoung’s mind away. It should not be a big deal, it’s just a stupid disposable cup that’ll add more to the world’s waste but this is Jung Jaehyun we’re talking about. He hates coffee with an immense passion that sometimes, Doyoung wonders how he can tolerate their friendship. 

The sheer fact that he was holding a coffee cup is enough to jolt Doyoung to the core. 

When Jaehyun’s sneakers finally crunch in front of him, tongue poking out to lick his lips and his free hand brushing his hair back, Doyoung notices the coffee brand. It’s the same one they went to last week to study, a cafe hybrid bookstore. It’s a hipster’s dream come true—organic ingredients, recycled paper cups, and cheaper drinks if you bring your own canteen. 

What’s particularly different about this shop from other coffee shops for Jung Jaehyun to actually purchase coffee in the morning?

Doyoung lets Jaehyun settle before raising a questioning eyebrow. Jaehyun doesn’t notice it and simply uncaps the lid and lets the steam puff out and the aromatic smell of beans assault Doyoung’s nose. Doyoung inhales it, if this is the new Jaehyun, then Doyoung doesn’t mind. 

Jaehyun blows the steam off before taking a small sip. Doyoung watches with prying eyes because he knows too well Jaehyun would start coughing or even gagging if he’s into the dramatics. As if on cue, Jaehyun starts barking and a second letter he gags and almost drops his drink. Doyoung rolls his eyes and takes the cup away. 

“Give me that,” he sighs. Jaehyun hits his chest gently before wiping the dribble on his lips with his hand. Doyoung takes a drink from Jaehyun’s cup and to his surprise, the bitter biting punch of coffee feels good on his tongue. The drink is slightly creamy and sweet but it blends so well with the bitterness that Doyoung wants to down it in one go. 

“Shit,” he exclaims after taking another sip. “This is good!”

Jaehyun looks at him like he was crazy. 

“It tastes like crap,” Jaehyun hoarsely disagrees. And just like that, Doyoung had free coffee during that morning and Jaehyun ended up drinking water as they walked towards their class.

* * *

Doyoung thought that Jaehyun buying coffee during that one spontaneous morning would be the last time. To his utter surprise, Jaehyun goes back for another and another. The second time Jaehyun came in with the same familiar paper cup, Jaehyun immediately power-walked through the university courtyard and almost shoved his cup towards Doyoung which he accepted happily. Who says no to a good cup of free coffee? No one. The third time, it was the same, even the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth. During the seventh time, Jaehyun mixes it up. He bought tea, a concoction Doyoung absolutely abhors, so he lets Jaehyun drink his leaf juice in peace. The eighth was the same as the others and by the time ninth came, Doyoung started to question why the hell Jaehyun was doing this. Is Jaehyun hiding something from him? To his knowledge, he and Jaehyun are on good terms. They’re normal. Their relationship is as smooth as a freaking baby’s butt. No one owns anyone a favor and no one has fucked up that the other is extremely affected. Thus, the sudden free coffee in the morning was alarmingly suspicious.

He doesn’t mind the free stuff, Doyoung loves that shit and especially with Jaehyun’s money rolling in blinding numbers, he’d exploit his friend for small purchases like this if he could. But Doyoung’s too nice. He can’t feed off of Jaehyun, Doyoung has his own part-time job, not as mindblowing as Jaehyun’s but it’s enough for him to stop asking money from his parents and buy his own hipster coffee. 

That morning, before Jaehyun arrives with yet another round of free coffee from that hipster cafe, Doyoung has slapped himself awake for what seems like the tenth time. It did not matter if someone’s watching him warily. He was going to have a _talk_ with Jaehyun and he needs to be fully awake. 

He is standing by their usual spot, the broken fountain in the courtyard. Not much passes by here during the mornings and only art students know of its location. Doyoung walks in circles around the fountain, phone in hand scrolling through his various social media accounts, and occasionally answering texts from his other friends while he waits. Five minutes turn into ten and Jaehyun is running late. It wasn’t the first time that it happened but Doyoung’s itching to ask why? What’s with the coffee you won’t drink?

Doyoung finds his ass flat against the ceramic edge of the fountain, he sighs and tries to find a comfortable sitting position. When he finally does, his phone rings, hoping it’s Jaehyun, Doyoung takes a peek. 

_Have you seen Jaehyun’s new video?_

It’s Jungwoo, one of their younger friends from the engineering department. In terms of friendship, Jungwoo’s the type to watch Jaehyun’s video the moment it drops. Doyoung just does whatever and waits for it to pop out of his recommendations. If he’s feeling generous though, he’d give an instant like, watches the first five minutes, and moves on with his life. Unless, of course, if he’s included in the video. 

Doyoung raises an eyebrow, he checks the date and to his surprise, it’s already a Friday, and if one is an avid viewer of Jaehyun’s they’d be waiting for him to upload. 

Another message pops out of his notification and Doyoung reads it, again it’s from Jungwoo. 

_He’s so cute and gay omg_

_Btw I miss you guys_

_We should hang out :(_

Doyoung’s face morphs into a mixture of shock and confusion. A facial expression he has been sporting since he saw the blush on Jaehyun’s cheeks and the free coffees. What did Jungwoo mean by gay and cute? Jaehyun is never cute, sure he’s gay, pansexual in fact and that’s normal but cute? What the hell? Doyoung has seen enough of Jaehyun to know that cute is not the first thing that would pop in his head.

Jaehyun has this aesthetic going on that is both an on-brand thing his modeling management pushes him to be and his self preference. Jaehyun’s cool and sleek— like the spark one feels when drinking a cold bottle of beer. Despite his questionable choices in life, Jaehyun knows how to work that image into his narrative. He’s already aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, the black motorcycle he owns also makes him ten times cooler. 

_Cute?_

Doyoung texts back, in an instant the little familiar gray bubble with dot pops out and Doyoung is glad he doesn’t have to wait for Jungwoo to explain things. 

_The video!!_

Doyoung crosses his legs and proceeds to use his Youtube app. Jungwoo’s right, of course, Jaehyun has uploaded a new video. The moment he sees the thumbnail, Doyoung straight away recognizes the location where Jaehyun filmed. He bites his lips, fighting a ridiculous cackle from coming out of his mouth. He fishes for his headphones and before he could plug them in, Jaehyun jumps in front of him and hovers his hand over Doyoung’s phone, obscuring his sight. 

Doyoung curses explicitly and then unceremoniously drops his phone on the ground. Jaehyun laughs heartily and takes a seat beside Doyoung. Doyoung licks his lips and sighs. He grabs his phone and pats it clean. He studies it for any sign of scratches and thankfully there weren’t.

“What’re you up to?” Jaehyun asks then hands, once again, like clockwork, the cup of coffee. 

“Thinking of ways on how to murder you,” Doyoung grumbles in response. Unconsciously, Doyoung takes it, for a brief moment forgetting the purpose of his earlier arrival. It was trampled by the idea of Jaehyun’s video. But, once his skin feels the hot surface of the cup he suddenly remembers the question that’s been hanging on his tongue for weeks. 

“Please. My manager wouldn’t like that,” Jaehyun jokes back while he stretches his legs. They are long and thin, and again, Doyoung is reminded why the guy’s an Elite model. 

Doyoung pops the lid open and lets the waft of coffee wake his senses. After taking a sip he finally asks the million-dollar question, “What’s with the coffee?” 

Jaehyun freezes but immediately feigns innocence and chuckles. 

“They have great coffee. That’s it.”

Doyoung narrows his eyes, “I know that. I’m the one drinking it, not you.” 

Jaehyun laughs at the statement and pats Doyoung’s back. A little too strong for his liking— _god damn it, models, and their free gym subscriptions._

“Can’t I treat my best friend?”

Doyoung takes another sip, letting the warm liquid ignite his insides before answering, “It’s not bad, but you’ve been doing it every day. So tell me the truth. Are you hiding something from me? Jaehyun, I’m your best friend. I know everything.”

Jaehyun looks at him with a puzzled look, “No.”

“Then what is it?”

“I just like the ambiance,” Jaehyun shrugs, his eyes not meeting Doyoung’s. He had that little quirk in his lip that only pops out when he’s nervous or lying. 

“Okay then. Let’s go there later,” Doyoung suggested while watching Jaehyun’s reaction.

Jaehyun bit his lip, “W-why?” 

“I need to catch up with my lecture notes. Besides, it's my turn to treat you.”

“Can’t we do this in the library?”

Doyoung shakes his head and pats Jaehyun back, he isn't as strong as Jaehyun but when he wants to he can be. The action caused Jaehyun to lunge forward, almost falling face flat on the floor, but the guy was naturally athletic so he managed to balance himself in time. 

_Excuses, excuses._ At this point, the two of them might end up volleying excuses at each other but that doesn't bother him. If Jaehyun wants to play, so can Doyoung. 

“That place is creepy Jaehyun. I’d rather have coffee than—

“At my place. I have better coffee and you can study all night. I won’t distract you,” Jaehyun almost whines but manages to redeem himself when his voice goes an octave deeper. 

Doyoung snorts, “You’re the one who said they had good coffee.”

“It’s noisy there.”

“Sure, like the library isn’t.”

They both paused for a while, Doyoung's still glaring at Jaehyun, almost borderline threatening. He could tell Jaehyun wants to say something but he’s hesitant as if he’s terrified Doyoung might start snarling at him. Doyoung would've if he could.

It’s Jaehyun’s manager who saves him from Doyoung's wrath. 

The sudden blast of his phone’s obnoxious work ringtone was enough to break their staring contest. Jaehyun takes a few steps away from Doyoung to answer the call, though his eyes are still on Doyoung, cautiously waiting for a surprise attack.

Doyoung might be as cute as a bunny but he could be as cunning as a serpent. 

_Run away Jaehyun, run away, for now._ He monologues inside his head. 

_Soon, I’ll find out why._

* * *

Doyoung groans the moment the familiar trap beat starts blaring in his earphones. Its Jaehyun’s channel intro, quite the introduction in Doyoung opinion—loud, the autumn color scheme aesthetic, with a hint of the real Jaehyun hidden in there somewhere, ah yes, through the quirky little wink at the end of it. 

Tucked in the corner of the library near the fire exit, Doyoung sits with his biology notes scattered all over the table, granting him the rule over the two other free chairs. It is an asshole move, he knows. Jaehyun and Jungwoo have pointed it out for more than a millionth time but this is Doyoung’s spot and he won’t let some gossiping freshmen ruin his peace and quiet.

The video finally transitions to Jaehyun walking on the street. Cars zoom past him while the common chatter catches his mic ever so often. The moment he sees this, Doyoung immediately recognizes where Jaehyun is. It's a street four blocks away from their university, and if one walks a little further, it would be a block away from the hippie organic cafe. 

Doyoung squints and brings his phone closer to his face. Judging by the clothes Jaehyun was wearing, this video was taken two days ago. He almost laughs, this was when he bought tea and finally drank a beverage from that place. 

"Do you see the guy behind me?" Jaehyun whispers, excitement evident in his voice. Doyoung is convinced he never hears him this enthusiastic about something. If this is where he thinks it's going then Jaehyun has Doyoung’s undying attention. 

Jaehyun’s face is so close that one could instantly see that he has the most beautiful glowing skin mankind has ever seen. Then the impossible happened, the camera blurs his face. Doyoung mentally gasps, his fangirls would have a hissy fit if this goes on. Instead of focusing on Jaehyun, the lens has caught sight of a man's figure. He was standing behind the counter. Not much was happening, just the usual sight of a barista preparing someone's drink with high practiced precision. The only few things Doyoung could take away from this was that the guy’s hair was blonde, he was wearing a white dress shirt that was rolled evenly up to his elbows and that when the moment he turned around, Jaehyun uncharacteristically gasped. The camera shook and everything once again blacks out. 

Doyoung pauses the video, places his phone down, and ponders. Is he fucking crushing on the barista? If so, why didn’t he tell Doyoung? Jaehyun tells Doyoung everything, especially the people he wants to woo. 

Jaehyun’s face then flashes back and it elicits a very explicit curse word out of Doyoung’s mouth. Thank goodness he’s alone or someone would have smothered him to death.

Jaehyun returns with a cup in his hand and a very obvious blush on his cheeks. He braces himself and sighs in front of the camera.

“Well,” Jaehyun in the video drawls. He isn’t looking in the camera almost as if he’s embarrassed to even be there, nevertheless, Jaehyun still plasters a smile and continues.

“That’s coffee prince and he’s the hottest man alive,” as he says it, an evident blush creeps on his skin and Doyoung stifles a scream. He almost drops his phone but manages to catch it thanks to his earphone's cords. When he finally has his phone securely placed on the wooden table, in a moment of embarrassment, he takes a swift glance around the library. Luckily enough, everyone’s head was buried deep down their books, noses almost touching the pages. 

He rewinds the video and hits play in time to hear Jaehyun mutter the words _cute_. In the video, the barista finally faces the counter and takes another customer’s order. The camera once again focuses on the man and one could easily hear the hitch in Jaehyun’s breath. Doyoung bites his lips, fighting another laugh from breaking out of his mouth. An exercise he could not quite master but today he will persist, he must continue watching Jaehyun’s vlog because he needs to know. He needs to know who’s lighting up Jaehyun’s boring life. 

Unlucky for Doyoung, Jaehyun is smart enough to blur the man’s face. But that does not stop him because Doyoung is Jaehyun’s best friend. He knows that Jaehyun would probably not blur everything out, because believe it or not, Jaehyun edits his own videos. 

He decides to slow down the video and find the perfect angle. He ignores Jaehyun’s ramblings and fixates his attention on the blonde man behind the counter. And due to luck, Doyoung pauses it at an angle where Jaehyun's so-called coffee prince's side features are somehow visible. He takes a screenshot of the photo and zooms in on it. 

Right now, he feels like a detective, a great one in fact. The type of detective that could put Batman's whole life's work to shame. The moment he spots the blonde hair, the familiar nose, and those bright wide eyes, he instantly recognizes the apple of Jaehyun's eyes. 

Once anyone has encountered Lee Taeyong, the man’s face is impossible to forget. Doyoung whistles in appreciation. If bishounen anime characters come to life, Taeyong is the literal visual representation of it. The man is ethereal, almost unreal. The one thing Doyoung appreciates when it comes to Taeyeong’s character was that he was like any other dude Doyoung shared some classes with. Though they’ve never spoken with each other, he’s not even sure if the guy knows him, Taeyong is a wholesome person. He kept to himself but he never forgets to greet everyone with a smile. 

Doyoung grins, the kind that makes his boyish charm shine. _This is interesting, too interesting. Lee Taeyong, huh? The art department’s eye candy. Not bad, Jung Jaehyun, not bad._

* * *

“We’re going to that cafe of yours. _Now,_ ” Doyoung says, a little too demanding for his liking but if it helps convince Jaehyun to bend, then he’ll take his chances. They’re on their way back to their respective dormitory, or in Jaehyun’s case his apartment when Jaehyun stops on his tracks and lifts his head from his phone. They’re a few feet away from the exit and Doyoung immediately latches onto Jaehyun’s arm so his best friend won’t suddenly escape. 

“You mean 127F?” Jaehyun says as Doyoung pulls him to the other side of the road, a direction opposite to their usual way home. 

“Yeah, whatever.”

“I told you no. We can go to my place,” Jaehyun attempts to suggest but does not fight back when Doyoung still drags him further away. 

Doyoung considers Jaehyun’s words. The apartment isn’t bad, in fact, it's every university dude’s dream. A whole space just for you, alone, with no one to share it with, no one bugging you about dishes and laundry and whatnot. In reality, Doyoung really isn’t going to study, if he did, he’d say yes to Jaehyun’s tempting apartment. But Jaehyun does not know that and Doyoung is a man on a mission. 

So, he pauses, heel firm on the ground, and stares intently at Jaehyun. His face gets closer while Jaehyun slowly backs off. Doyoung tightens his grip on Jaehyun’s arms and glares at him, their nose almost touching. Doyoung wears this facial expression like a badge. It’s one of his faces that actually works on both his parents, brother and friends. It’s a glare terrifying enough to melt their hearts and let him get what he wants. 

Jaehyun sighs in defeat, “You won’t take no for an answer huh?”

“Yup,” Doyoung grins triumphantly while ruffling Jaehyun’s hair. 

“Okay fine. But I’m telling you it’s noisy there. You won’t get to concentrate,” Jaehyun says, brushing his hair back to its original position. 

They continue walking when Doyoung snorts, “I’ll do fine. It’s you who’ll have a hard time because of a boy named Taeyong.”

“Who told you?” This time its Jaehyun who stops and looks at Doyoung with narrow eyes. Doyoung shrugs, unbothered by it. 

“Dude, you posted a video earlier.”

“You don’t watch my videos,” Jaehyun points out, adding an eye roll in there too. 

“For your information, I do.”

“How did you find out, Doyoung? You can’t fool me,”

Doyoung purses his lips, fine, Jaehyun can have this win. “A little birdie told me.” Hey, but not entirely.

Jaehyun releases an exasperated sigh, “and this birdie is named?”

“Fine! Jungwoo texted me about your vlog.”

“Now, that wasn’t too hard,” Jaehyun teases, poking Doyoung’s cheeks. 

“Shut up and you’re buying my coffee.” When Doyoung did not hear a reply, he silently cheered. _Free coffee!_

* * *

They stand in front of the entrance and Doyoung is reminded why he prefers instant coffee to freshly brewed ones, it’s cheaper and it helps lessen the weight in his pockets. 

The bricked interior of 127F reflects the high-class street it’s located in. Surrounded by high-end clothing shops and tourist spots, this place is a capitalist fanatic’s paradise. The plants that hang around its window and doors create this ambiance of peacefulness and the 

Doyoung whistles and Jaehyun looks at him warily before asking, “why are you doing this to me?”

“For amusement purposes,” Doyoung snickers. Jaehyun slaps his arm in an attempt to get the real answer and Doyoung reluctantly gives in. 

“Fine! God, you’re so pushy today—”

Jaehyun rolls his eyes, “Look who’s talking.”

“You always tell me who your interested in or fucking. This was the first time you ever held information from me!” Doyoung whines, crossing his arms and avoiding Jaehyun’s unreadable stare. Jaehyun licks his lips and scratches the back of his nape before replying, “I—I just don’t like it when you feel uncomfortable.” 

Doyoung tips his head to the side, confused, when did he ever feel uncomfortable when Jaehyun talks about his love life or even his sex life? Never. Okay, maybe there was that one time Jaehyun had a one night stand with one of Doyoung’s classmates but it was more like an _“ew, why her?_ ” type of scenario instead of a full-blown _ew, sex._

“Ever since you came out, you know, it felt weird telling you these things,” Jaehyun admits, avoiding Doyoung questioning eyes. 

“What? I’ve been out for a year. Not once did you bring this up? Just because I’m asexual does not mean I can’t fall in love. Sex just does not interest me, at all. Attraction works differently for me but hey! Your sexcapades and puppy love always amuses me.”

Jaehyun’s face morphs into an offended glare and a confused one but in the end, he settles for a neutral expression.

“But the thing with Yeeun—”

“It was more like an ew, why her moment! I’ve said this a thousand times Jae!” Doyoung exhales. 

“Alright, I apologize. I shouldn’t have kept this feeling I’ve been hiding from you.”

“That sounded like a confession,” Doyoung shakes his head. “You know what. Let’s get you your boy so we can stop hanging out so that people would stop assuming that we’re dating. As hot as you are, I am never tapping your ass!”

Jaehyun cracks a smile, “Ditto.” Doyoung, once again, grapples onto his arm as they enter the shop.

Taeyong looks up the moment the bell rings, and to Doyoung’s amusement, Taeyong’s face lights up when he sees Jaehyun. If Doyoung’s being honest, Taeyong’s attractive, he has an angelic face that could actually rival Jaehyun’s own strong features, but at the same time, he can compliment it too. If they ever actually start dating, they’d actually make a really good looking couple.

Doyoung looks at Jaehyun who’s definitely lost in Taeyong’s get up. Today, the barista’s wearing a simple black shirt along with his usual white coffee-stained apron, and judging by how peaceful the place is this afternoon and half-empty seats, it wasn’t your typically busy day. 

“Jaehyun!” Taeyong beams, but then it flickers, for a fraction of a second, Doyoung catches a hint of disappointment as he sees Doyoung’s arms around Jaehyun’s shoulder— _ooh._ Doyoung is extremely amused. 

“Who’s this?” Taeyong asks, eyes narrowing at Doyoung. He’s projecting, Doyoung muses to himself. With the way his lips tightened and his face sours the moment his eyes met Doyoung’s, he could tell Taeyong is jealous. 

“Kim Doyoung, Jaehyun’s best friend. Nice to meet you Taeyong,” he pipes and reaches for a handshake. Taeyong finally returns the smile and returns the shake with a firm grip. 

“It’s nice to see a face behind someone who makes my coffee every morning,” Doyoung continues with an enigmatic smile.

“Hmm. So, you’ve spoken about me?” Taeyong grins, a little too perfectly for Doyoung’s liking, then again, he’s not looking at him, he’s looking at Jaehyun like he wants to devour Doyoung’s best friend, right there. 

“Yeah,” Doyoung snorts in response, throwing Jaehyun a cheeky look. “Publicly,” he adds, which earns him a bone-crushing nudge on the ribs. Despite the blooming bruise, it was worth seeing the constipated look of embarrassment on Jaehyun’s face. 

Taeyong ignores him and he does not mind because from the looks of it Jaehyun has captured Taeyong's undying attention without even trying. Both of them are still staring at each other and no one is moving. Doyoung clears his throat and raps his knuckles on the counter.

"Oh, I apologize," Taeyong blushes, but he doesn't sound apologetic at all. He finally asks them their order and since Jaehyun has been bringing him the sweet coffee for the past few days, Doyoung wanted to try pure black coffee. Just the way he likes it. 

Jaehyun orders his usual, and Taeyong asks him _one or two,_ and Doyoung is quite amazed that they already have a system between them. Jaehyun with a shy smile, replies with two, Taeyong beams at Jaehyun. 

Doyoung smirks in the background. 

After receiving their drinks, it seemed ridiculous to hover around the counter, so, like the only sane person between these hormonal boys, Doyoung dragged Jaehyun to one of the available tables closest to the counter. 

Doyoung made sure Jaehyun sat on the chair that gave the best view, an angle where he can clearly see Taeyong create his magic. A decision that contributed heavily to Doyoung’s amusement. Whenever Jaehyun thinks Doyoung isn’t looking, he would steal not-so-subtle glances at his so-called _coffee prince._

Moments later, when their drinks are half-empty, Jaehyun starts fidgeting and plays with his perfectly gelled her. It’s only when Doyoung sees Jaehyun play with the rings in his finger is when he realizes his best friend is nervous. 

“Are you okay?”

“Actually,” Jaehyun lowers his voice, he looks around, as if he’s afraid someone would hear him. “I wrote him a letter.”

“You _what?_ ” 

Jaehyun glared at him, “Don’t even—”

“What is this the 18th century? A letter? I feel like I'm in fourth grade again,” Doyoung dramatically leans on his chair, as he fans himself. 

Jaehyun blushes, “I’m too shy to ask him out verbally okay? Have you seen his face?” 

Doyoung shrugs, Jaehyun has a point, but nevertheless, “Dude, you practically announced you like him in your vlog. Any moment now, one of your viewers will recognize him.”

“Hey, I didn’t show his face.”

“Okay point taken but you didn’t blur out his apron. I think?”

“Oh shit.”

“That’s right, oh shit. Now, go get your man before I throw that letter at his face. He fucking likes you too!”

Jaehyun inhales deeply, his brows burrowing with a newfound determination. He takes the letter in his hands, Doyoung watches him with pride filling his heart. That’s his best boy. 

His confident, subjectively hot, best friend. 

* * *

Jaehyun licks his lips and with fast strides makes his way towards the counter. He can still feel Doyoung’s gaze at him, making him even more uneasy by the sudden surge of confidence he is feeling. Maybe it's because Doyoung’s there, his best friend but then again, Jaehyun thought, with shaking hands, if Taeyong rejects him, Doyoung will never ever live this down till the day they die. 

By the time Jaehyun reaches the counter, Taeyong is holding a cup, cleaning it with a dishcloth. He looks up when he hears Jaehyun’s approaching footsteps and flashes him a quick, sweet, but extremely deadly smile. Jaehyun swears he almost melted on the spot. He isn’t kidding when he says that Taeyong could easily kick him out of his own job and probably do even better. 

Jaehyun almost chickens out because _god_ Taeyong’s beauty is on a whole new level. An uncharted one, no one like him exists, and no one in their right minds would have the guts to woo such a man like him. 

“Hey,” Taeyong greets softly, swinging the dishcloth onto his shoulder and Jaehyun tries not to swoon when he sees the tiny flex of Taeyong’s muscle under his shirt. “Need a refill? But I warn you, drinking coffee like its water is unhealthy for you. Though, you did not just hear that from me. I’m supposed to keep this establishment alive and running,” he winks. 

Jaehyun does not trust his voice so instead of squeaking a ‘no’ he manages to shake his head, earning him a questioning eyebrow raise from Taeyong. Jaehyun is so whipped that even that simple action is igniting his insides in flames. 

“Oh, so what is it?” 

“Well,” Jaehyun says, palms sweaty and his heartbeat echoing in his ears. _Why_ did he write this stupid letter? Right now, he’s questioning every waking moment of his decision. God, Doyoung is right, he feels like a twelve-year-old trying to woo one of his classmates. It’s so embarrassing, writing a whole letter about his feelings inching closer to the counter and placing both of his hands on top of it, leaving the letter extremely exposed for Taeyong to see. 

“I hope I’m not intruding or something?” A guy’s voice interrupts him, and they both jump a little as if being caught doing something illegal. Neither of them noticed the backdoor opening or shutting, but here he is, in all his wonderful glory. He’s wearing the same white apron, handsome face, he’s so tall—towering the both of them, his black hair pushed back, with twinkling eyes aimed at Taeyong happily.

He doesn’t even spare Jaehyun a glance when he slips his arms around Taeyong’s shoulder while ruffling his perfect blonde hair like it's nothing then sloppily kisses him on the cheek. Taeyong laughs at this. Jaehyun gulps and swears that his heart drops because _of course,_ Taeyong, beautiful, ethereal Taeyong has someone.

Has a boyfriend. It hits hard, like a boulder dropping straight onto his heart. 

Before they could even return their attention back on Jaehyun, he lets his mind go on auto-pilot and slips hastily, “Goodbye. The coffee was great. See you around.” Taeyong tries to say something and for a brief second, Jaehyun spots the flash of disappointment on his face and sees the way his boyfriend’s eyes widened as if he recognizes Jaehyun from somewhere. He ignores them both. Right now, he needs a tub of ice cream and Doyoung’s stupid voice teasing him. 

He pivots around, almost knocking over an empty table and marches back to where Doyoung is sitting and he could see it—the confusion and the worry on his best friend face and _fuck_ today isn’t really Jaehyun’s day. 

It’s only been less than a minute when Jaehyun left Doyoung to conquer the love of his life and live happily ever after. But as Doyoung watches the scene unfold his very eyes—another man entering the counter, kissing Taeyong’s cheek in greeting, Jaehyun suddenly stammering, turning around marching back to Doyoung with eyes as big as saucers, he knows something isn’t right. 

Jaehyun immediately grabs Doyoung’s arm and yanks him up from his seat. 

“Boyfriend,” Jaehuyn grits between his teeth. 

“Holy shit,” Doyoung hisses as they make their way towards the exit, not even looking back at the counter to give Taeyong a well-deserved thanks for the amazing coffee. 

They hit the street on a stumble. Apparently, as Jaehyun drags Doyoung outside, Doyoung’s foot unceremoniously catches on the hinge of the door, almost making them both tumble down on the cement. Miraculously, thanks to Jaehyun’s athletic skills and Doyoung’s petite frame, Jaehyun grabs onto Doyoung’s hips and fixes their position upright. They straighten themselves up while they walk away until they’re out of sight from the cafe’s window. 

“Well,” Doyoung starts, in hopes to ease the very evident embarrassment and sheer sadness off of his best friend’s face. He gives him a small smile that doesn’t even reach his eyes. For now, he hopes, this could cheer Jaehyun up. 

“Let’s never go back there,” Doyoung continues, heaving a heavy sigh, he pats Jaehyun’s back in an attempt of comfort but Jaehyun shrugs him off. Doyoung doesn’t blame him, today simply was not his day. “I will—” before Jaehyun could even rasp his next word, though Doyoung’s sure it was more like a threat than a regular conversation, Jaehyun pales. 

“I forgot it,” he grips onto Doyoung’s arm shakily. He could see the dread in his eyes and the utter horror in his whole face. Doyoung inches closer, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, this time, Jaehyun doesn’t brush the touch away.

“You forgot what?”

“The letter,” Jaehyun croaks. 

“Are you serious—” Doyoung does not have the chance to finish his sentence when they both hear someone say Jaehyun's name. 

* * *

Even before turning around to check, Jaehyun recognizes that voice.

_Fuck fuck fuck_

If the Earth could just eat him up and never spit him out, Jaehyun would immensely appreciate that. What if Taeyong discovered the letter and briefly read it and found it disgusting. Fuck, what if his boyfriend’s jealous and wants to ban them from the shop for the rest of eternity. Although he wouldn’t mind that, he will never see Taeyong’s beautiful face, warm smile, and generally his nice personality. But it would be weird if rumors spread about him, he does have a reputation to live to. Maybe he should quit the whole YouTube and model shenanigan. 

Taeyong is standing outside of the doorway, his apron undone, his hair sticking in a weird direction, like he did his best to get outside in a hurry, but failed halfway, so he gave up and decided to show up like this. 

In Jaehyun’s opinion, he still looks like he came out of a magazine, which is unfair when he’s trying to move on. 

He jogs towards their direction before Jaehyun could actually register what is happening. When he stops in front of them, specifically on Jaehyun, he spares a second glance at Doyoung’s direction before focusing his attention back on Jaehyun. 

“Hey. You forgot something,” Taeyong breaths and Jaehyun’s eyes shoot towards the item on his hand. It’s a paper but not the same one as earlier. Shit, where’s the letter? 

“We d-did?” Jaehyun manages to squeak. He bites his lips so hard he tastes iron. 

“Yeah,” Taeyong licks his lips and Jaehyun could not help the way his eyes follow the movement.

“Okay.” Jaehyun’s eyes meet Taeyong’s ebony ones with a gulp.

“Okay,” Taeyong echoes. There’s a brief moment where no one oddly speaks a word. Doyoung clears his throat and they both break eye contact. 

“This is not some cliche novel, get on with it suckers,” Doyoung snorts and it takes an immense amount of patience from Jaehyun’s side in order not to trample Doyoung.

“You forgot this,” Taeyong says. It’s a folded paper, a yellow sticky note, on it is a number with a heart on it. Jaehyun does not want to believe what he's seeing is real because this is an actual number, and it could be Taeyong’s but he has a boyfriend so _what the hell?_

“Huh? What about the letter?” He could not help but ask.

“Oh you mean the one addressed to me?”

“Yeah, shit yeah.” 

Jaehyun tries not to scream. He gives Doyoung a pleading look, but his best friend ignores it. Doyoung feigns innocence by playing with his bangs as if the weird unraveling in front of him is the least interesting thing in the world. 

“I haven't read it though,” Taeyong admits with a nonchalant shrug but Jaehyun spots a pale blush on his cheeks.

“Don’t—” Jaehyun shakes his head, wait, there are more pressing matters at hand, like the piece of paper Taeyong handed him earlier. It feels heavy in his palm and it would be a lie if it did not intrigue him one bit. 

Jaehyun asks, “Whose number is this anyway?”

Taeyong admits while slowly bowing his head, “Mine. I finally had the guts to ask you out, seeing as I am the _coffee prince_.” 

Beside Jaehyun he hears Doyoung’s feet stomp on the ground, followed by a swell of boastful laughter, and if he’s looking, tears are also probably pouring out of Doyoung’s eyes. If Jaehyun isn’t so shocked by what Taeyong just uttered, he might have pushed Doyoung on the ongoing traffic.

“What?” Jaehyun blinks.

“This is amazing. God, I can't wait to speak at your wedding. I am definitely your best man, no take-backs,” Doyoung wheezes, patting Jaehyun playfully on the back.

Taeyong bites his lips, fighting a smile blooming on his face. He rubs the back of his nape, “My best friend, Johnny, the guy from earlier. He watches your vlogs and saw me on one of them. Coffee Prince, huh?”

Jaehyun’s mouth twists, his eyes fixated on Taeyong, because he’s both amazed and slightly embarrassed. What the hell was he thinking for uploading that video? Did it ever occur to him that someone might recognize Taeyong, but he did blur his face, yet, Doyoung recognized him—“Fuck me,” he mutters. 

The last thing Jaehyun wanted to come off as is being a huge creep. This is it, Taeyong will ask him to leave him alone and ban him from stepping foot in 127F, well Jaehyun really isn’t a fan of coffee but Doyoung, on the other hand, is. Never mind that, it was Doyoung who dragged him in the first place. 

“I’d do but I’d rather wine and dine first. Make it last longer, you know,” 

After hearing those words spill out of Taeyong, Jaehyun isn’t able to stammer even a single word. He watches Taeyong’s mouth curl into a smirk. Unable to process everything, he just stares.

Doyoung groans, “Oh get a room both of you.” Those words are enough to snap Jaehyun out of his trance. He nudges Doyoung once again, this time, without holding back, time to use his ridiculously pricey gym subscription to proper use. 

Doyoung folds and almost stumbles back as he grasps his side. Jaehyun ignores his cries of pleas and insufferable curses and faces Taeyong with a more confident smile. 

“I wouldn’t mind that.”

When Taeyong hears his reply his face lights up to such a degree that Jaehyun is blinded by it. He had not realized that Taeyong could get any more ethereal, yet, he had been proven wrong. He inhales sharply when Taeyong’s hand finds its way on his shoulder, he shivers a little and Taeyong feels it, he lets his fingers glide along Jaehyun’s collarbones, making him gulp. 

Jaehyun looks at Taeyong in the eye while saying, “I’ll call you.” Taeyong breaks into a bigger grin and Jaehyun fights the urge to literally jump on him and shower his face with little kisses.

It feels weird stepping back, releasing himself from Taeyong’s subtle touch, and suddenly grabbing Doyoung’s wrist. He waves a little before finally facing the opposite side, despite it being a different direction from his apartment, but Taeyong does not know that and he can bribe Doyoung with pizza when he starts whining. It’ll be a long trek home but that didn’t matter. 

He glances over his shoulder multiple times, and Taeyong is always standing there, watching them walk away. It feels wrong, being separated. So when they finally turn into a corner out of Taeyong’s sight, he’s still the only thing Jaehyun can think about. 

“Please call him,” Doyoung mops one second later after they reach the next block. It’s only been ten minutes since he lost sight of Taeyong’s puppy eyes and he’s trying to fight the itch of grabbing his phone—

“Just do it, please. You look constipated. It’s freaky, ruining all your bad boy vibes.”

Jaehyun scowls but follows through anyway. He gulps in a lung full of oxygen, preparing himself for what comes next. When he finally calls Taeyong’s phone number with shaking sweaty hands, he says a very cautious hello.

“Hey, so I make your day more bearable with my otherworldly features and kissable lips?” Were Taeyong’s first words the moment he pressed the answer button. Jaehyun blushes at his statement and is tempted to just cower and hide in one of the alleyways and run away from Doyoung’s judging stare. 

“So,” he manages to answer back, “I guess you read the letter?”

He hears Taeyong chuckle and it sounds so ruff but nice, like a birdsong he could never get used to but absolutely liked. Jaehyun smiles. It’s one of happiness and growth, of a warm feeling, blossoming in the deepest parts of his chest. It feels familiar and foreign at the same time, yet, it felt just about right.

“I did. I’m on my third reread.”

Jaehyun giggles, “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Do I have the potential to be a New York Times Best Selling Author?”

“Maybe, but I need to read more of your letters. Preferably through a candlelit dinner or if you like movies and pizza.”

“I would love that.”

And he did, he did love that.

**Author's Note:**

> this was only supposed to be a 5k crack!fic about doyoung shitting on jaehyun. now, its 7k god help us all.
> 
> [ twt ](https://twitter.com/jenseungs)  
> [ cc ](https://curiouscat.me/jenofullsun)  
> buy me [ kofi ](https://ko-fi.com/panarcadia)


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